It has been some time since I have had a chance to post; I have been on vacation with limited Internet access for the last month or so.
We were in the middle of discussing some of the main reasons we as Christians should feel an obligation to witness. Recapping, the first two facts that should compel our evangelism were as follows: 1) God Himself has commanded us to do so, and 2) we will give an account for our fervency in this area. Today, I want to share the third point in this series. It differs slightly from the previous two in that, while the former posts dealt mainly with our obedience and accountability before God, this post deals with our relationship and obligation towards the lost. Today we will deal with a sobering reality; people are dying and going to Hell.
Allow me to share some statistics with you. In the time it took you to read the introductory paragraphs of this post, approximately 60 people died and went to Hell. Each time you breathe, on average, ten people die and go to Hell. In the time it takes for you to watch your favorite TV show, 3600 people die and go to Hell. Every night as you sleep, 72,000. Each year, 76,500,000.
These numbers are estimates made to represent a point, not necessarily exact amounts. These approximate figures are based on conservative estimates of the world's population, average life span, and an approximation of how many people truly know Christ as their Savior. If you do the math, it works out to be about 2 people every second that die and are forever condemned to a Godless eternity. Using this number to calculate a final staggering statistic, if you live to be seventy years of age, over the course of your life, 4,415,040,000 people will have died and gone to Hell. That is slightly under two-thirds of the world's population.
There is no way to know exactly how many people are unsaved at death. Not only would the exact number of deaths be a nearly impossible statistic to pinpoint, but, also, only God knows the hearts of men. However, my point is simply this: people, regardless of how many, are dying and going to Hell. Eternal souls for whom Christ bled and died are blindly running full bore into the lake of fire.
Hell itself is a difficult subject for us to dwell on. The Bible paints very dark pictures when referring to this place of judgment. It is described as a place of torment (Luke 16), containing unquenchable fire (Mark 9), where the worm dieth not (Mark 9). It is called a lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20); and it is a place of eternal, perpetual suffering (Rev. 20).
Such horrors we would not wish on even our worst enemies. This is a place in which God reserves the devil and his angels for judgment (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6). He is unwilling that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), however, He makes clear that those who reject Him will suffer the consequences of their decision (Luke 16). This is why Christ came; to, by His death, void the consequences of our rebellion against God by taking the punishment and outpouring of God's wrath against sin on Himself. This is the message with which we have been entrusted. If people do not turn to Christ, Hell is the eternity that awaits them. And we are the only means by which people will hear. Romans 10:13-14 says:
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (emphasis mine and pronouns referring to Christ capitalized)
This passage and others make it clear that people can only be saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, and the only way they will hear the truth is by the faithful witness of those who have accepted the truth. God could very well have sent angels to proclaim the gospel, but He didn't. He could have again sent His Son to proclaim the truth, but He didn't. For some reason that we may never truly understand, He has chosen us. The washed, justified, and sanctified sinners (1 Cor. 6: 9-10). The redeemed (Psalm 107:2). God has chosen to make Christians the instruments by which He makes Himself known to a lost and dying world.
The vast majority of the people around us do not know Christ. We do not have the luxury of watching from the sidelines. God Himself has given you the message, as well as His authority to deliver it (Matthew 28: 18-20). The question is...will you?
